Door biasing structure



- Patented Apr. 14, 1953 DOOR BIASING STRUCTURE Richard J Carbary, Erie,Pa., .assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication March 25, 1950, Serial No. 151,902

8 Claims.

My invention relates to door biasing structures and more particularly tospring structures for biasing doors to predetermined positions.

It is an object of my invention to provide a door biasing constructionincluding an improved arrangement for biasing a door to both its openand closed positions or to only one of these positions.

It is another object of my invention to provide a door biasing springassembly including an improved arrangement for readily changing from aposition for biasing a door to its closed position to one for biasing adoor to both its open and closed positions.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, and the features of novelty whichcharacterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of my invention an assembly is providedincluding a spring and an element secured thereto. The element includestwo portions each of which is adapted to selectively engage a singleopening in a stationary structure for effecting a biasing of a door.When one of these portions is arranged to enga e the opening the door isbiased toward both open and closed positions and when the other of theseportions is arranged to engage t e opening the door is biased toward ony one of these positions.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to theaccompanyin drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a portion ofa refrigerator; Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. l; andFig. 3 is a view sim lar to Fig. 2 showing the spring assembly in adifferent position.

Referring to the drawin there is shown a refrigerator cabinet I whichincludes an outer wall 2 and a spaced inner wall or liner 3. The spacebetween the walls is filled with a suitable heatinsulating material 4,and a breaker strip 5 of a material of low thermal conductivity closesthe space between the walls adjacent the access opening of therefrigerator.

In the upper portion of the food storage compartment 6 which is definedby the liner 3 there is provided an evaporator I for cooling the foodstorage compartment. The access opening of the evaporator 1 is adaptedto be closed by a door 8. A door support bracket 9 is secured to, theliner 3, and the door 8 is mounted for swinging movement on the bracketby hinges in having pivot points or axes I I. In order to limit theswinging movement of the door in the open position a bumper l2 of rubberor another suitable shockabsorbing material is secured between the liner3 and the breaker strip 5. I

It is common practice to provide evaporator doors with an 'overcenterspring arrangement so that the doors are biased to both the open and theclosed positions. This insures that the door is closed against the frontof the evaporator under normal conditions so as to assist inmainposition when desired so as to permit easy access to the interior ofthe evaporator. With an evaporator position and evaporator doorarrangement such as that shown in thedrawing little difficulty ariseswhen the main refrigerator door'is hinged at the right-hand side of thecabinet. It can be seen that under such conditions, if the evaporatordoor is inadvertently left openlat the time the refrigerator door ismoved toward its closed position, the evaporator door will be moved toits closed position bv the refrigerator door. However, it is sometimesnecessary for particular kitchen arrangements to employ a refrigeratordoor which is hinged at the left-hand side of the refrigerator. Withthis arrangement, if the evaporator door is inadvertently left open itmay be distorted and damaged by the refrigerator door as therefrigerator door swings to its closed position. Accordingly, it may bedesirable to.

bias the evaporator door so that it always moves toward its closedposition and it will be impossible to leave the evaporator doorinadvertently in the open position. By my invention an arrangement isprovided whereby the change from one condition wherein the evaporatordoor is biased to both open and closed positions to a second conditionwherein the evaporator door is biased to a closed position only can beeasily effected by the user.

The door biasing assembly includes an elongated tension spring l3 and aZ-shaped element i4 secured to one end l5 of the spring. The uppersurface of the evaporator door 8 includes an opening l6, and an end I!of the spring engages theopening It. The Z-shapedelement l4 includes afirst leg l8 which is. generally in line with the lon itudinal axis orline of action of the spring l3 and a second leg I!) which is laterallydisplaced from the longitudinal axis or line of action of the spring I3. The first leg [9 includes a portion or hook 20 whichis adapted toengage an opening 2! in the inner liner or stationary structur 3. andthe second leg i9 similarly includes a portion or hook 22 which also'isadapted to engage the opening 2|.

Because of the displaced relationship of the hooks or members 20 and 22relative to the longitudinal axis of the spring a different biasingarrangement is secured when the hook 22 engages the opening in the lineror stationary structure 3 than when the hook 20 engages this opening. In

Fig. 2 the assembly is shown in the position wherein the hook 22 engagesthe opening 2| and, in thisp'osition of the assembly, the evaporatordoor is biased at all times toward its closed position. Referring toFig. 2, it can be seen that in the closed position of the evaporaterdoor the spring I3 is so positioned that its longitudinal axis or lineof action is positioned to the left of a line extending between theopening 2| and the pivot points ll of the hinges l0. When the door hasbeen moved to the full open position in engagement with the bumper l2,as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the longitudinal axis or line ofaction of the spring is still positioned to the left of a line extendingbetween the opening 2| and the pivot points H of the evaporator door.Accordingly, throughout the swinging movement of the door, the biasingassembly exerts a force tending'to move the door in a clockwisedirection'toward the closed position.

If it is desired to have the door biased to both itsop'en and closedpositions the biasing assembly 'is shifted to the position shown in Fig.3 wherein the hook 20 engages the opening 2| in the liner or stationarystructure 3. The hook 20 and the leg 'lB-of the member M, as explainedpreviously, are generally in line with the longitudinal axis of theelongated tension spring l3 rather than displaced laterally therefrom asin the case of the leg l9 and the hook 22. Because of this construction,when the hook 2|) is placed in engagement with the opening 2| the lineof action of the spring is so located that it moves from one side to theother of a line extending between the opening 2| and the pivot points IIat some point in the swinging movement of the evaporator door 8.Referring to Fig. 3, it can be seen that when the evaporator door is inthe closed, or solid line, position the longitudinal axis or line ofaction of the spring |3 is located to the left of a line extendingthrough the opening 2| and the pivot points II, and the door isaccordingly biased by the spring in a clockwise direction toward itsclosed position. On the other hand, when the door has been moved to thefull open position against the bumper l2, as illustrated'by the dottedline position in Fig. 3, the

longitudinal axis or line of action of the spring I3 is located to theright of a line extending through the opening 2| and the pivot points H,and accordingly the evaporator door 8 is biased in a counterclockwisedirection toward its open position. It can be seen therefore, that thedoor biasing assembly can be easily shifted from an arrangement in whichthe door is biased toward both its openand closed positions to anarrangement wherein the door is biased toward only one of thesepositions merely by shifting the biasing assembly so that the hook 22rather than the hook 20. engages the opening 2|.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention Ido not desire my invention to be limited to the particular constructionshown and described and I intend by the appended claims to cover allmodifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

l. A door biasing construction comprising a stationary structure havingan opening therein, an elongated spring having one end adapted to engagea door for biasing the door, and means for mounting said spring in afirst position wherein the line of action of said spring is main tainedon one side of the pivot point of the door throughout the swing of thedoor whereby the door is 'biased toward one position only and in asecond position wherein said line of action of said spring moves overcenter at one point in the swing of the door whereby the door is biasedtoward its open position on one side of said one point and toward itsclosed position on the other side of said one point, said meansincluding an element secured to the other end of said spring, saidelement including one portion generally in line with said line of actionof said spring for engaging said opening to dispose said spring in oneof said positions, said element including a second portion laterallydisplaced from said line of action of said spring for engaging saidopening to dispose said spring in the other of said positions, saidelement being shiftable between positions in which one or the other ofsaid portions engages said opening, said spring retaining said portionsin resilient engagement with sai opening.

2. A door biasing construction comprising a stationary structure havingan opening therein, an elongated spring having one end adapted to engagea door for biasing the door, and means for mounting said spring in afirst position wherein the line of action of said spring is maintainedon one side of the pivot point of the door throughout the swing of thedoor whereby the door is biased toward one position only and in a secondposition wherein said line of action of said spring moves over center atone point in the swing of the door whereby the door is biased toward itsopen position on one side of said one point and toward its closedposition on the other side of said one point, said means including anelement secured to the other end of said spring, said element includingone portion generally in line with said line of action of said springfor engaging said opening to dispose said spring in said secondposition, said element including a second portion laterally displacedfrom said line of action of said spring for engaging said opening todispose said spring in said first position, said element being shiftablebetween positions in which one or the other of said portions engagessaid opening, said spring retaining said portions in resilientengagement with said opening.

3. A door biasing construction comprising a stationary structure havingan opening therein, an elongated spring having one end adapted to engagea door for biasing the door, and means for mounting said spring in afirst position wherein the line of action of said spring is maintainedon one side of the pivot point of the door throughout the swing of thedoor whereby the door is biased toward its closed position only and in asecond position wherein said line of action of said spring moves overcenter at one point in the swing of the door whereby the door is biasedtoward its open position on one side of said one point and toward itsclosed position on the other side of said one point, said meansincluding an element secured to the other end of said spring, saidelement including one portion generally in line with said line of actionof said spring for engaging said opening to dispose said spring in saidsecond position, said element including a second portion laterallydisplaced from said line of action of said spring for engaging saidopening to dispose said spring in said first position, said elementbeing shiftable between positions in which one or the other of saidportions engages said opening, said spring retaining said portions inresilient engagement with said opening.

4. A door biasing construction comprising a' engage a door for biasingthe door, and means for mounting said spring in a first position whereinthe line of action of said spring is maintained on one side of the pivotpoint of the door throughout the swing of the door whereby the door isbiased toward one position only and in a second position wherein saidline of action of said spring moves over center at one point in theswing of the door whereby the door is biased toward its open position onone side of said one point and toward its closed position on the otherside of said one point, said means including an element secured to theother end of said spring, said element including a first hook generallyin line with said line of action of said spring for engaging saidopening to dispose said spring in said second position, said elementincluding a second hook laterally displaced from said line of action ofsaid spring for engaging said opening to dispose said spring in saidfirst position, said element being shiftable between positions in whichone or the other of said hooks engages said opening, said springretaining said hooks in resilient engagement with said opening.

5. A door biasing assembly comprising an elongated spring havin one endadapted to engage a door and a generally Z-shaped element secured to theother end of said spring, said element including a first leg having ahook formed thereon adapted to engage an opening in a stationarystructure to bias the door to its closed position only, said elementincluding a second leg laterally displaced from said first leg andhaving a second hook formed thereon adapted to engage the opening in thestationary structure to bias the door toward its open position duringone portion of the swing of the door and toward its closed positionduring another portion of the swing of the door, said second leg of saidelement being generally in line with the longitudinal axis of saidspring, said first leg of said element being displaced laterally fromsaid longitudinal axis of said spring.

6. A door biasing construction comprising a stationary structure havingan opening therein, an elongated spring having one end adapted to engagea door for biasing said door, and means for mounting the spring in afirst position in which it biases the door to its closed position onlyand in a second position in which it biases the door toward its openposition during one portion of the swing of the door and toward itsclosed position during another portion of the swing of the door, saidmeans including a Z- shaped element secured to the other end of saidspring, said Z-shaped element including a first leg generally in linewith the line of action of said spring and having a hook thereon forengaging said opening in the second position of said spring, saidZ-shaped element including a second leg laterally displaced from saidline of action of said spring and including a hook for engaging saidopening in the first position of said spring, said Z-shaped elementbeing shiftable between positions in which the hook on one or the otherof said legs engages said opening, said spring retaining said hooks inresilient engagement with said opening.

7. A door biasing construction comprising an elongated spring having oneend for engaging a door, a stationary structure having an openingtherein, and an element secured to the other end of said spring forconnecting said spring to said stationary structure, said elementincluding a first member for engaging said opening to bias the door toits closed position only, said element including a second member forengaging said opening to bias the door to its open position durin oneportion of the swing of the door and toward its closed position duringanother portion of the swing of the door, said second member beinggenerally in line with the line of action of said spring, said firstmember being displaced laterally from said line of action of saidspring, said element being shiftable between positions in which one orthe other of said members engages said opening, said spring retainingsaid members in resilient engagement with said opening.

8. A door biasin construction comprising a stationary structure, a door,a hinge for mounting said door for swinging movement on said stationarystructure, means for limiting the swinging movement of said door, anelongated tension spring for biasing said door, means for connecting oneend of said spring to said door, said stationary structure having asingle opening therein, and means for connecting the other end of saidspring in engagement with said opening, said last-named means includinga member for engaging said opening, said member being so positionedrelative to said spring that the line of action of said spring isdisposed on one side of a line extending through said opening and thepivot point of said hinge throughout the swinging movement of said doorwhereby said door is biased toward one position only, said last-namedmeans including a second member displaced laterally from said firstmember for engaging said opening, said second member being so positionedrelative to said spring that the line of action of said spring crossesthe line extending through said opening and said pivot point of saidhinge at a predetermined point in the swinging movement of said doorwhereby said door is biased toward its open position on one side of saidpredetermined point and toward its closed position on the other side ofsaid predetermined point, said last-named means being shiftable betweenpositions in which one or the other of said members engages saidopening, said spring retaining said members in resilient engagement withsaid opening.

RICHARD J. CARBARY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 214,169 Merrill Apr. 8, 1879 660,106 Gross Oct. 23, 19101,326,841 Bousquet Dec. 30, 1919 1,819,187 McFerren Aug. 18, 19312,011,694 Stevens Aug. 20, 1935 2,030,324 Schmidt Feb. 11, 19362,124,258 Moecker July 19, 1938 2,514,033 Dean July 4, 1950

